Abstract: Underachievement in Chemistry amongst secondary schools in Kenya has dimmed the hopes of many students in progressing into higher institutions to study science-based courses and greatly impacting the growth of the labour market. The study was based on establishing how learning styles predicts achievement in Chemistry among Form three secondary school students in Njoro Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya. Through this study, the cases of poor Chemistry achievement among public secondary school students in the Sub-County was addressed. The quantitative study adopted correlational research design in the study. A target population of 3976 form three students from 47 public secondary schools were selected for the study, from which 400 students in 14 schools made up the study sample. Data collection was done through use of questionnaires and document analysis. A pilot study used a total of 40 students from two public secondary schools in the Molo Sub-County. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine internal consistency of the research instruments and a reliability coefficient above 0.7 was established. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 examined quantitative data. Inferential statistics consisted determining Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis, and descriptive statistics entailed frequency counts, range, minimum and maximum values, percentages, mean and standard deviations. Results from the study indicated a positive and significant relationship between auditory, kinesthetic and visual learning preference and Chemistry achievement. For auditory preference the correlation was positive and significant (r(360)=.80, p<.05). For kinesthetic preference a positive and significant relationship was found (r(360)=.76,p<.05). Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was established for visual preference (r(360)=.74, p<.05). Further findings revealed that most respondents opted for visual learning preference (76.9%) as it was linked to higher Chemistry scores (mean score was 56.13). Also, results indicated that self-efficacy, auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning preference significantly affected Chemistry achievement (F(4,355), p = .00. This study recommends that parents and teachers should be concerned with activities that can reinforce students’ skills in learning styles.
Keywords: Chemistry academic achievement, learning styles, public secondary schools.
Title: Learning Styles as Predictors of Students’ Chemistry Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya
Author: Kebaso Omesa Dennis, Dr. Oluoch James Ndege
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 12, Issue 3, July 2024 - September 2024
Page No: 34-48
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 09-July-2024
